Aaarrgghh.

We got the bills today for gas and electricity.  The gas bill is about what I expected at around £30 per month for hot water and cooking and 3 hours (total) of CH.  We have showers with the very occasional treat bath at a weekend.  The cooking is as one-pot as we can make it.  In fact we do a good line in cooking once and reheating the planned leftovers in the microwave.  We only have the gas oven on a couple of times a month and always cook as much as possible in it to make the best use of the gas.

The electricity bill says we have used £98 worth of electicity each month since the last bill.  How???  The last bill was estimated and was just a very small bit behind so I just left that to be remedied this time when it was an actual reading.  So the £98 is probably nearer to £90 in fact.  We did not start using the halogen heaters until the last weekend in October so the bill is really for appliances and lighting. 

I am already turning on the halogen heater at the last possible moment when I am too cold to wait any longer and my husband has complained too much, wearing four layers inside (I have to take off one to fit my coat on to go outside...), using hot water bottles and blankets, going round the house turning the lights off after my husband, turning the computer off if it not going to be used for several hours and any other thing I can think of.  Apart from the freezers full of homegrown (by our friends) meat, I can't think what has pushed the bill up so much. 

We finished last quarter slightly in credit so we are now in debit by 2 months payments.  That does not bode well for next quarter which is the one when they decide whether to raise the monthly payment or not. Hmmmm.  At least the money can be recouped by savings made across the board, but still it is a nasty shock to the system.